Gas-generator.



D. D. BARNUM.

GAS GENERATOR.

APPLlCATlON FILED DEC. 20, 1913.

1 ,1 92,729. Patented July 25,1916.

FIG.

\\\ INVENTOR Maw I z w tlNlTE srrns ra rnrrr union,

DANA I). BARNUM, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO RITERCONLEYMANUFACTURING GOIVIIPAIINTZ', 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATIONOF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

GAS- GENERATOR.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Application filed December 20, 1913. Serial No. 807,904.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANA D. BARNUM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of lVorcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements inGas- Generators, of which the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of retort gas, it is recognized that its qualityvaries during the distillation process. For example, the quality of thegas improves during the first hour and then it recedes in quality, untilat the last period of the distillation process the gas becomes very muchimpoverished on ac count of the fact that the nitrogen increases veryrapidly, and as is well known, the rapid increase of nitrogen isproductive of lean or poor gas.

If the richer gas can be separated from the impoverished gas, it isobvious that a very high quality of gas might initially be maintained,and this gas could then be diluted to suit the conditions under which itis to be used.

One purpose of my invention is to provide means whereby the richer gasmay be taken off and conveyed to mains or tanks in the usual manner forsubsequent use.

A further purpose is to provide for the collection and removal of theimpoverished gas which is suitable for industrial uses, as for example,for heating the reto-rts or to be used in boilers, gas engines, or thelike.

I have provided means whereby a single retort or a plurality of retortsmay be exhausted into either of two oil-take means, so that the richerand poorer gases may be separated and separately disposed of.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front view oi a plurality of retorts andthe mains for taking oil the gas therefrom; Fig. 2 is an elevation ofgas generating apparatus taken at right angles to Fig. 1, andillustrating a modification.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, 1 designates astack or bench of retorts. The retorts are here shown as being arrangedin groups of two parallel rows 2 and 3. The retorts in each row arearranged one above the other in substantially vertical alinement, andbetween the two rows of the group is a gas off-take means consisting ofan interposed pipe l having connection with the retorts by means of thelateral conduits and 6. In each conduit is a valve, 5 and 6respectively, the valves 5 being adapted to open or close communicationbetween the retorts 2 and the cit-take means 4, and the valves 6 beingadapted to open or close communication between the retorts 3 and theoft-take means a.

The oil-take means a is here illustrated as consisting of pipes orconduits communicating with a main 7 which may be connected to asuitable eXhauster in the usual manner, and said pipe a may be providedwith valved outlets 4-. to discharge the condensate. The pipe 4 isadapted to receive the richer gases passing from the retorts, andbetween the groups of retorts or connected to the sides of the retortsopposite to the ports 5 and 6 are stand pipe gas off-take means 8 whichare connected to a suitable main 9 corresponding to the main 7 but whichmay be in communication with a suitable source of distribution, wherebythe gas from the stand pipes 8 and main 9 may be used for purposes otherthan the gas passing from the conduit 7.

The stand pipes 8 are, connected to the re torts 2 and 3 by means oflateral conduits 10 and 11. These conduits l0 and 11 are, respectively,provided with valves 10 and 11 corresponding to the valves 5 and 6, andare adapted to open or close communication between the retorts 2 and 3and the stand pipes S. The oil'take pipes 4: are shown as approximatelyequidistant from the sides of the benches, while the stand pipes S areshown as located between two adjacent benches, and the pipes l are shownas of greater cross sectional area than pipes 8.

One reason for having the pipes at larger in diameter than the pipe 8 isthat during the first period, say the first hour, of the distillationprocess, a considerably larger quantity of rich is distilled than duringthe later periods, and the relatively large pipes accommodate thiscopious flow.

I do not limit my invention, however, to pipes of different sizes nor toany specific location, although the construction shown in the drawingsconstitutes a convenient and efficient arrangement of apparatusembodying the same.

As will be seen, the mouth piece ofiitake of a retort is provided with aplurality of lateral otltake connections, these connections leadingtoindependent stand pipes, the

lOvC

hydrocarbons, the flow path will be through" one connection, at suchtime the resulting deposits being mainly those pertaining to thehydrocarbon portion of the gas. When the gas has reached the stages whenthe produc tion of hydro-gen is materially increased, the flow path isshifted to the other connection so that deposits will be in a differentflow path from the hydrocarbon deposits, thus tending to reduce thetendency to stoppages by retaining the bulk of these deposits inseparate paths. In Fig. 2 I have shown a slightly modified form of myinvention in which 12 designates a support for a plurality of retorts13. An 7 upstanding off-take pipe 14; is shown as being arrangedadjacent to the front face of the support 12 and communicates both withthe main 15 and the retorts 13 in a manner 7 similar to that shown inFig. 1.

'16 is a gas off-take pipe corresponding to the gas off-take pipe 4 ofFig. 1, and this pipe communicates with the retorts in substantially thesame way as shown in Fig. 1, a main 17 corresponding to the main 7 beingprovided for the purpose of permitting the gas to be carried off to asuitable point.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it will be obvious thatcommunication may be entirely closed between the retorts and the pipe 4,and that communication may be provided between the pipe 8 and all of theretorts associated therewith. Under certain conditions, the valves maybe operated so as to open communication between one or more of theretorts 2 and 3 and the pipes 4 to the exclusion of pipe 8, or thevalves may be so operated that communication may be had both with thepipes 4: and the pipe 8 at the same time.

One of the advantages of separating the richer gas from the poorer gasis that the medium or lower quality of gas does not require scrubbing,condensing, and purifying before being used for the purpose to which itis adapted. The richer gas, however, which is generally used forilluminating purposes, requires considerable treatment before it is incondition for burning, so it will be apparent that by separating out themedium and low quality gas, the expense of scrubbing, condensing, andpurifying it is avoided.

What I claim is 1. In coal gas generating apparatus, a bench, a group ofretorts located therein at different elevations, two vertical offtakepipes at the exterior of the bench and extending from top to bottomofthe group of retorts, separate valved connections between each retortand each oiftake pipe, and separate mains into which the respectiveoii'take pipes discharge. I

2. In coal gas generatin apparatus, a

torts each retort having a mouth piece offtake, a plurality of standpipes each posi'- tioned between adjacent rows of mouth pieces withadjacent stand pipes connected to different mains, the mouth pieceofftakes of a vertical row being operatively connected to the standpipes of two mains, and a valve and forming a series of stand pipesconnected to a main common to the several stand pipes, and an additionalseries of stand pipes connected to a different main, said latter standpipes being located between the pairs of rows, each mouth piece off-takeof a vertical row being operatively connected to stand pipes of bothseries, and a valve for and adapted to control each connectionindependently.

4. In coal gas generating apparatus, a plurality of vertical rows ofhorizontal retorts, each retort having a mouth piece olftake, a standpipe for each pair of rows, said stand pipes being located between themouth pieces of the rows forming the pair of rows and forming aseries ofstand pipes connected to a main common to the several stand pipes, andan additional series of stand pipes connected to a difierent main, saidlatter standpipes being located between the pairs of rows, each mouthpiece off-take of a vertical row being operatively connected to standpipes of both series, and a I valve for and adapted to control eachconnection independently, the stand pipes and connections of one seriesbeing decreased in cross sectional area compared with that of the otherseries.

5. In coal gas generating apparatus, a plurality of vertical rows ofhorizontal retorts, a plurality of stand pipes with each stand pipepositioned in a plane extending between adjacent rows of retorts andadapted to be operatively connected to each of'the 'retortsof said rows,said stand pipes forming two series having connection with independentmains, and a valve for and adapted to control each connection between aretort and a stand pipe independently, whereby the gas from the severalretorts maybe seplurality of verticalrows o' horizontal relectivelydelivered to different receptacles at will.

6. In coal gas generating apparatus, a plurality of vertical rows ofhorizontal retorts, a plurality of stand pipes with each stand pipepositioned in a plane extending between adjacent rows of retorts andadapted to be operatively connected to each of the retorts of said rows,said stand pipes forming two series having connection with inclependentmains, and a valve for and adapted to control each connection between aretort and a stand pipe independently, whereby the gas from the severalretorts may be selectively delivered to difierent receptacles at 15will, the stand pipes of one series being of smaller cross section thanthose of the other series.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANA D. BARNUM. Witnesses:

FRANCIS H. DEWEY, Jr., MARGARET G. TWoMEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. (3.

